Closing Statement

Regardless of what social networking medium you decide to use, you can print the interactions for any family that would like a hard copy and at the end of the year make CDs for each child with the entire record of social networking script. This makes it easier for families without Internet to access the dialog, and ensures that the writing will be preserved. Imagine having a very special artifact where you are able to go back and read what you did in first or second grade, as told by you and your classmates?

· 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met by means of social media.

· US Department of Education study revealed that on average, online students out performed those receiving face-to-face instruction.

· 1 in 6 higher education students are enrolled in online curriculum

· 95% of companies using LinkedIn as a primary tool to find employees….80%

· 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations NIE global online consumer survey from 2009

· More than 1.5 million pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) are shared on Facebook…daily.


Bullying is nothing new, but cyberbullying is a fairly new way of bullying. When social networking tools first began being used, many people did not know about cyberbullying. However, as public awareness about cyberbullying grows, society is beginning to respond accordingly. In fact, bullying in general has become a hot topic lately. There will always be bullying, but the good thing about cyberbullying is that there is a permanent record that can be used to prove that bully is going on. There have been several cases in which bullying has been part of a court case. In most of these cases, bullying was being done at school and in the community, along with using social media. The tendency to bully someone else is present in an individual, and bullying will continue. However, as children and young adults become more and more aware that engaging in bullying using social networking technology will be a sure way to provide evidence of what they’ve been doing,
people will begin to think twice before using technology to bully someone. Publicity having to do with recent high profile cases has been effective in increasing awareness for parents, teachers, and students—and therefore creating a general disdain for this type of behavior. The knowledge that you will be held accountable for your actions may actually help people become more cautious about their behavior--there is a record of everything--bullying, etc. This isolates the issue of who is doing bullying to a specific individual.

Facebook’s group-making options allow young and seasoned professionals alike to gather virtually, exchanging ideas, business tips, and industry news. The site’s messaging system and personalized privacy controls make following up on the educational vendor you met at last week’s convention simple and safe. The sites offer a casual way of keeping in contact, without the letter-style formality of e-mail or forced cheeriness of a phone call during business hours.